Alice Ratterree | Children's Book Illustrator

Category: Journal

Alice Ratterree’s daily illustration blog.

  • Character

    Tonight I dove back into characters. Bright, warm, sunny children – not taking myself too seriously. I had a blast. Normally I like to post finished work, but the rough in-progess stage has an appeal too, and sometimes makes me hesitate to go further. But I will.

  • Fearless

    I embarked on a fun project a few years ago for Clemson University’s “Tri-Art” program, an outreach initiative to bring the three performance arts (drama, dance and music) into local schools. The client wanted one character that somehow represented all three disciplines, so I created a little girl who wants to do it all. Striking a fearless pose that begs to be in the spotlight, center stage.

    We all know her. Weren’t all us girls her at some point in our life?

    Fearless-ness. That’s what I’m aiming for. That childlike attitude that I can be anything….still…at my age. That although my “education” is behind me, I will always be learning. And if I’m learning, I’m growing. And if I’m still growing, then every day I’m more and more like that child I remember.

  • Home

    OK so I’m in the throws of building a web site. That’s a very accurate term…”building” a site. It is true construction. There’s first a site, with a “domain” name, for your “home” page, then entryways to other rooms containing all sorts of treasures of information. And there has to be a certain feng shui about it all – a pleasing consistency that will invite my “visitors” to stay a while. I’m keeping mine simple, partly because I’m not savvy enough to add many bells and whistles, but mainly because I like it that way.
    My little home.

  • Atmosphere


    That’s what I’m trying to create. I’m especially inspired as the holidays draw nearer. But it’s as close to impossible sometimes as hanging the very stars in the sky.

    People think that if you can draw, you must also be good at all aesthetic endeavors. This is not so, and I’ve come to accept that about myself, which is a nice relief.

    So I’ll continue to create atmosphere in other ways. With paper, pencil, sometimes ink, and a fare share of adobe. But also inside myself, with dreams, content in resting, listening…
    Joy.
    Love.

  • Fall

    I fall.
    Into hopes of apple pies and pumpkins with faces grinning.
    Of gray skies and yellow hearths.
    Wood burning and leaves scratching.
    New schools, great expectations, and memories of childhood. The first time you see your breath come out like steam. Everywhere nature is dying but hope is born and the time for harvest is here.

  • Mary


    Mistress Mary, quite contrary,

    How does your garden grow?

    With silver bells, and cockle shells,

    And pretty maids all in a row.
    This nursery rhyme has always bothered me a bit. Perhaps it’s the allusions to Queen Mary, aka “Bloody Mary,” who shamelessly beheaded Protestants. But it may also be just the simple fact that this girl has a secret. A secret that binds her in her own world, separate from the rest of us.

  • Drama

    One of my favorite projects is creating art for theatre posters. The challenge of telling a story with only one image. Like the cover of a picture book, it must captivate the viewer and entice them to search for more. The best images are the ones that ask a question. The hard part is knowing what question to ask.

    The Crucible (Anderson College)

  • Heritage


    I’ve heard every artist falls within a certain heritage, a lineage of other artists that have influence over him/her, who endeavor to master the same obstacles. Realizing which family of artists you belong to is an important step.

    Right now, I feel a strong kinship with the “Golden Age” of children’s book illustration, a movement which began with George Cruikshank in the early part of the 19th century. It flourished into the recognition of artists such as John Tenniel (famous for his Alice in Wonderland illustrations), Randolph Caldecott (after whom the prestigious award is named) and Kate Greenaway (undoubtedly a master of nursery books).

    These artists have greatly inspired me (along with the poster art of Alphonse Mucha), and so I have set out on a personal project of honing these skills by practicing Ms. Greenaway’s subject of classic nursery rhymes.

    Here is “Little Boy Blue”

  • Portraits

    I love drawing children. I think I’ve already said that, right?

    Their open countenence speaks to my heart and reminds me to forget myself. Staying loose is the key. Allowing the air that contains something beyond yourself remain between you and the paper.
    This is Logan, somewhere between awake and dreaming…

  • First

    Lots of firsts…my first blog, my first entry (aside from the welcoming message), and this summer, my first children’s book illustration project.

    Commissioned by a publishing company for the homeschool community, this book takes us through the days of the week through the eyes of a child who is part of a large homeschooling family. I enjoyed the simple, rythmic, and very organized way the author laid out the text. It made the process very straightforward and immediately planted strong images in my head for me to work with.

    The book is now in the design stage and is scheduled to be published and distributed during the 2010 year.